Kenshi - open-ended sandbox RPG set in a desert world

[Tweed]

What are the current recommended mods?

Reactive world or whichever one is still being updated. You can't go wrong with more reactivity. Boosting the character limit can be OP if you choose to make a huge army, but I prefer to have people working at my base while my right wing death squad is out killing. There were some really cool Hokuto No Ken animations for martial art attacks.

A lot of it just comes down to personal preference though.

 

[Zanzoken]

>Uhhhhh so what mods do you guys recommend for this endlessly replayable game that reached the very peak of emergent gameplay
You're watering down a perfect experience you fucking plebeians. The hoi polloi these days, I swear.

This is a major exaggeration. There are some interesting things that happen systematically, but overall the game is very static and underbaked, which creates a serious lack of reactivity and C&C.

Kenshi is just like Morrowind in that the devs created a fascinating, vibrant world with a ton of interesting factions, goals, secrets, etc.... and yet no one is really doing anything. Just like in Morrowind, in Kenshi aside from random meaningless skirmishes out in the wild, everyone is just standing around waiting for the Player to do something. Except unlike Morrowind, in Kenshi there are no questlines to follow that alter the world state... just a few "triggers" that create change if you force them through on your own. Otherwise, you can barely even talk to anyone.

I don't think the game needed handcrafted RPG quests like finding Fargoth's ring or becoming head of the Mages Guild, but they needed to create more opportunities for the Player to roleplay and feel like they are part of the world. It's weird that you have all these factions who clearly have goals and problems that they could use your help with, but the game offers no pathway to join them or have meaningful interactions.

Hopefully this is something that gets addressed in Kenshi 2 so that it feels more like an actual living world, and not just a big sandbox with pretty environments and a lot of NPCs standing around with nothing to say or do.

 

[Sweeper]

There is more passion and talent put into this one song of this extraordinary game than there is in the entirety of Veilguard and Avowed combined.
Fuck it, this is the greatest game ever made. Sorry Underrail, you're no longer #1 (suck it Styg).

 

[MerchantKing]

>Uhhhhh so what mods do you guys recommend for this endlessly replayable game that reached the very peak of emergent gameplay
You're watering down a perfect experience you fucking plebeians. The hoi polloi these days, I swear.

This is a major exaggeration. There are some interesting things that happen systematically, but overall the game is very static and underbaked, which creates a serious lack of reactivity and C&C.

Kenshi is just like Morrowind in that the devs created a fascinating, vibrant world with a ton of interesting factions, goals, secrets, etc.... and yet no one is really doing anything. Just like in Morrowind, in Kenshi aside from random meaningless skirmishes out in the wild, everyone is just standing around waiting for the Player to do something. Except unlike Morrowind, in Kenshi there are no questlines to follow that alter the world state... just a few "triggers" that create change if you force them through on your own. Otherwise, you can barely even talk to anyone.

I don't think the game needed handcrafted RPG quests like finding Fargoth's ring or becoming head of the Mages Guild, but they needed to create more opportunities for the Player to roleplay and feel like they are part of the world. It's weird that you have all these factions who clearly have goals and problems that they could use your help with, but the game offers no pathway to join them or have meaningful interactions.

Hopefully this is something that gets addressed in Kenshi 2 so that it feels more like an actual living world, and not just a big sandbox with pretty environments and a lot of NPCs standing around with nothing to say or do.

I hope it has more intricate smuggling mechanics too.

 

[Sweeper]

Hopefully this is something that gets addressed in Kenshi 2 so that it feels more like an actual living world, and not just a big sandbox with pretty environments and a lot of NPCs standing around with nothing to say or do.

If a motherfucker is working as a caravan guard, and he just follows a caravan all day long, like what do you expect? To discuss the meaning of life with the mofo?
This is a very storyfaggot way of looking at worldbuilding. Kenshi has loads of worldbuilding, and it's done in a way that matters instead of
>muh words
Show, don't tell.

 

[BruceVC]

I have some exciting news for this thread

I have just bought Kenshi and I have decided to play it as my next game, I have heard very positive views about it and it appeals to me around its open-world and sandbox design. Those are some of my favorite types of designs and preferences in any game

I am still busy with Sunless Skies but I will be completing that in about a week or so and then I will start my Kenshi adventures


Any mod suggestions would be appreciated but I will do my own research as well around recommended mods and use Nexus as a good source of information

 

[Fedora Master]

You're gonna love it. Inhospitable wastelands populated by starving brown people who will try to beat you up. Just like home for you.

 

[Zombra]

Any mod suggestions would be appreciated but I will do my own research as well around recommended mods and use Nexus as a good source of information

This game is excellent unmodded. It doesn't need to be fixed.

 

[MerchantKing]

You're gonna love it. Inhospitable wastelands populated by starving brown people who will try to beat you up. Just like home for you.

Can you even play video games in South Africa with all those rolling blackouts?

 

[Grampy_Bone]

Any mod suggestions would be appreciated but I will do my own research as well around recommended mods and use Nexus as a good source of information

The dark UI mod is decent and the squad limit uncapper. I find the population limit of default makes it harder to have an active exploration team and a full base running, but that is probably the point. Worth playing vanilla anyway for a baseline.

 

[Gilius Thunderhead]

Trying to manage more than 30 people in Kenshi sounds like a nightmare, tbh. Do people like RPing as the emperor?

The game is laughably easy even with 2 people if you know what you're doing. For a good first time experience, I recommend a small squad of 5-6, maybe double that if you want a permanent defendable base.

 

[mondblut]

Any mod suggestions would be appreciated but I will do my own research as well around recommended mods and use Nexus as a good source of information

This game is excellent unmodded. It doesn't need to be fixed.

Bitches are ugly and wrapped in some kinda rags in vanilla. Clearly a bug.

 

[mondblut]

Trying to manage more than 30 people in Kenshi sounds like a nightmare, tbh.

Nah, it's pretty good at automating. Unless you intend to train 700 people to highest level of toughness via fog men or something.

Do people like RPing as the emperor?

Kenshi has no end goal. Building an empire is as good as any.

 

[Saduj]

I recommend not even building a base or at least waiting until your core group is up to 50-60 in most combat related stats. With the exception of a few notable fights, depending on where you build, you really won't miss much in vanilla. Buying food is easy. You can very easily loot/buy better weapons than you can forge. Armor is a little tougher since they nerfed Armor King a bit but it is still very easy to gear up everyone to Specialist grade stuff and over time the Masterworks trickle in. The one big advantage to having a base in vanilla is the opportunity to spar with very high level prisoners. It is hard to grind certain stats past 60 without doing that. But if you're running around the world with a well equipped squad of 20 with stats in the mid 50s, you can win any fight anyway. If you really enjoy base management in other games then you might feel differently, but IMO the best part of Kenshi is the exploration and bases just distract from that.

I like the Living World mod and some of the mods that expand on certain factions seem cool but I've never gotten around to trying them. And there are plenty of mods that make base building an actual advantage if that is your thing.

Edit: The easiest way to play vanilla is to take the start that lets you make 5 custom characters, make them all skeletons and then only recruit skeletons. Due to the limited number of skeleton recruits available, you'll end up with a squad size of around 14-17 very powerful characters.

 

[ArchAngel]

You're gonna love it. Inhospitable wastelands populated by starving brown people who will try to beat you up. Just like home for you.

Can you even play video games in South Africa with all those rolling blackouts?

He has his 6 younger brothers in the next room on room bicycles generating power while his 7 sisters are bringing them food and drinks. Elephant meat lasts a long time.

 

[MerchantKing]

You're gonna love it. Inhospitable wastelands populated by starving brown people who will try to beat you up. Just like home for you.

Can you even play video games in South Africa with all those rolling blackouts?

He has his 6 younger brothers in the next room on room bicycles generating power while his 7 sisters are bringing them food and drinks. Elephant meat lasts a long time.

South Africa really is like Kenshi.

 

[Kruyurk]

South Africa really is like Kenshi.

Indeed

 

[Zombra]

Very specific ways on how to play this game

BruceVC I hope you didn't read any of this (except the part about what mod he likes, which you did ask for). Although the game can be tough as nails please don't guides or instructions on how you are "supposed" to play it.

 

[Zed Duke of Banville]

Any mod suggestions would be appreciated but I will do my own research as well around recommended mods and use Nexus as a good source of information

This game is excellent unmodded. It doesn't need to be fixed.

Agreed, but there are a few conveniences nonetheless:

• A better map (there are several possibilities)
• Let's Talk mod (more comments from squad members)
• More world-state changes (Reactive World or Living World or whatever else has been released in the last five years)

 

[Kruyurk]

The paradox of Kenshi is that the game is quite hard when you first discover it, so naturally you find some slightly "exploity" things to do, like luring enemies into town guards, and that is ok. But the longer you play, the bigger the exploits you find, and they start to destroy the sense of gradual power progression and immersion. Some exploits can totally trivialize hard encounters.

So my advice, to echo what Zombra said, is to keep in mind that the game is a janky RPG that is best role played, instead of approaching it with a power gaming mentality where you try to "beat" it in the most efficient way. Being overpowered by enemies is part of the experience, the game is not designed as a succession of fights that you will all win or reload, like most games. Avoiding enemies or losing fights is normal.

 

[mondblut]

Very specific ways on how to play this game

BruceVC I hope you didn't read any of this (except the part about what mod he likes, which you did ask for). Although the game can be tough as nails please don't guides or instructions on how you are "supposed" to play it.

This post drips with estrogen.

 

[mondblut]

The paradox of Kenshi is that the game is quite hard when you first discover it, so naturally you find some slightly "exploity" things to do, like luring enemies into town guards, and that is ok. But the longer you play, the bigger the exploits you find, and they start to destroy the sense of gradual power progression and immersion. Some exploits can totally trivialize hard encounters.

So my advice, to echo what Zombra said, is to keep in mind that the game is a janky RPG that is best role played, instead of approaching it with a power gaming mentality where you try to "beat" it in the most efficient way. Being overpowered by enemies is part of the experience, the game is not designed as a succession of fights that you will all win or reload, like most games. Avoiding enemies or losing fights is normal.

BruceVC do not listen to the larper pussies. You're there to raise an invincible army and trample the shit out of everyone. This is the way.

 

[BruceVC]

Very specific ways on how to play this game

BruceVC I hope you didn't read any of this (except the part about what mod he likes, which you did ask for). Although the game can be tough as nails please don't guides or instructions on how you are "supposed" to play it.

Im going to adopt a completely " open world " approach to my strategy in this game which means Im just going to initially explore and play around with classes and not commit to any one activity

As Im mentioned I have never played this game and I have also never researched the lore or read any game guide around how to achieve objectives like wealth

And thats how I prefer it, all I know about this game is you have this open-world set in a desert theme with cities and factions and you can end up doing different professions

I am sure I will have more questions once I have played for about 10-15 hours

But thanks for the input anyway from those that contributed constructively, lots of good high-level advice to consider

 

[Perkel]

Roleplay and don't look for help. The moment you start to powergame game effectively loses its hook and it becomes boring as shit and you lose interest in it.

 

[Zombra]

What Kruyurk said is definitely good to bear in mind. Play how you want, but know that "failing forward" is supported. Unlike most every other RPG ever, losing a fight does not mean game over.